William Bowles – Online since 1979

Link Tax: This is Terrible!

The EU is racing towards imposing Link Taxes and Censorship Machines that will fundamentally change the internet as we know it.

More and more the EU nations are coming out in favour of including Link Taxes and Censorship Machines.1We need to act now to alert voters across the continent about how this sweeping copyright legislation will stop people from sharing links and posting information, even on our own news feeds.2

Last month, the European Parliament passed its corporate-friendly Copyright Directive, and this week, the European Council has come to the table to compromise.

As it now stands, eight countries are in favour of the Link Tax (or even want to see it expanded!), while seven more are willing to agree to a limited form of the Tax. Seven nations want Censorship Machines.3

But they aren’t taking into consideration the long-term effects of these draconian policies—or listening to the public. Regular people could be in trouble with the law for creating or sharing memes. Copyright Machines could stop us from sharing news articles on social media. It will change the entire experience of the Internet.

And considering that many MEPs didn’t understand all of the provisions of the Copyright Directive when it was passed, it’s quite possible that the European Council doesn’t, either.4

That’s why it’s so important that we advertise just how harmful the Link Tax and Copyright Machines are and drive comments to the European Council—now, while they are meeting—to stop this attack on the Internet.

Footnotes:[1] Where EU member states stand on upload filters and the “link tax”: Julia Reda
[2] EU approves controversial Copyright Directive, including internet ‘link tax’ and ‘upload filter’: The Verge
[3] Where EU member states stand on upload filters and the “link tax”: Julia Reda
[4] The man behind the EU’s copyright law is “surprised” by what’s in the proposal: Quartz